Burning Love
by BurningxRedxCaskett
Summary: When everything goes wrong, you only want one person to make it right. Post 6x23, because the last five minutes of that episode was utterly ridiculous. Rated T for safety, but may change.
1. If It Don't take Two

**Authors Note:** Okay...I think it's safe to say the entire fandom is pretty much dead after last night. I feel like we were cheated. Hopefully EVERYTHING that went wrong last night is QUICKLY resolved in 7x01.

Here is what I think should happen for next season's opener.

As always, thank you to **alwayscastle2** for her read though and suggestions.

Reviews are love, leave some. You can even vent to me about last nights episode. I'd love to hear your theories.

-Krystle

**Disclaimer:** um, yeah. does it look like these characters are mine?

* * *

_"It takes two hearts with one beat, _

_and it takes two to say 'I do', _

_but the champagne won't taste sweet, _

_and the dream just won't come true, _

_if it __don't take two"_

* * *

She doesn't understand. How could this happen? They were supposed to be married now; for an hour she was supposed to have been Mrs. Castle. Now, she's standing on the side of the road looking at a burning car. The burning car of her future husband. Hadn't they been through enough the last three days? This last year? The last six years?

A man walks up to her, placing his hand on her arm. "Ms. Beckett, if I could just get you to step back please?" She moves, only because the man is guiding her. "I need you to come with me."

It's only then does she see the flashing lights of a near by ambulance, and the voice she can recognize anywhere. Turning her head to face the medic, pleading with her eyes, begging him to tell her what she wants to hear. Instead he steps aside and gestures to just past the wreckage.

"_No! You don't understand," he nearly yells out. "I'm supposed to be getting married right now. I have to go! I'm fine, quit that! I don't need an IV, I need to get to my wedding!"_

She's running, her vision is blurred with tears, but all she can think about is getting to him. "Rick!"

"Kate?"

Finally reaching the back of the ambulance, she - quite literally - jumps into the vehicle and into his arms, sobbing into his neck. He locks his free arm around her back, squeezing her tight. "Thank God," she mumbles over and over. Pulling back to look at him, she runs her hand through his hair -mindful of the very apparent bump on his head-, over his face, across his shoulders. He's here. He's alive. She's not sure how he managed to get out of that car, but he's here.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She fists his dress shirt -which is dirty from his escape from the car - and pulls him to her in a much needed kiss. "I thought I lost you."

"God, Kate," he whispers. "No."

"What happened?"

"This black SUV was following me. Tinted windows, I couldn't see the driver, and the next thing I know, he's run me off the road. I must have passed out cause the next thing I remember was smelling smoke. I climbed out of the car as fast as I could and when I got up to the street the whole thing just blew." He laces their fingers together, "I'm sorry, Kate. I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"We should be married now; not here. Not in the back of this ambulance."

A tear falls from both of her eyes as she shakes her head, "Weren't you the one who told me that 'all great fairy tales have obstacles'? I'm just so glad that you're alive. Our guests are still at the house, once you've finished giving your statement, we can go back."

"The only place he's going is to the hospital," one of the medics says. "He has a pretty nasty bump on the head, he'll need a CT Scan and they're probably going to want him to stay over night."

Again, he's muttering his apologies. He feels responsible for ruining her one - well, second -wedding; not that the first marriage actually counted. She was a nineteen year old who did a stupid thing, a binding thing, but couldn't remember it.

Running a hand through his hair, she shakes her head, "Shh, it's ok. I'd rather have you alive and well than not have you here at all." Today was another close call, another obstacle in their journey to their happily ever after. "I'll call Martha and Alexis when we get to the hospital. You're not leaving my sight for the rest of the day - if ever."

**CB**

They arrive at the hospital after a short ten minute drive. He's taken to the ER, and she asks the nurse at the nurses station if its okay for her to use the phone - in her rush to get to the scene she left hers at the house - rather she dropped it after receiving the call.

She tells Martha there is a change of plans, asks her to have their guests placed in the hotel just in town - on her and Rick. Tells her that as soon as everyone is settled in to get the hospital. Not even ten minutes after she hangs up the phone does she hear the voice of a very scared twenty year old.

"Kate!" Alexis yells, running towards the older woman. She locks her arms around her neck in a bone crushing hug. Kate can feel the tears on her shoulder as she runs her hands through Alexis's red hair.

"Shh, Lex, its okay," Kate soothes her, holding the girl tightly. "He's fine. I promise."

Alexis pulls back, hiccuping. "What happened? Can I see him?"

Kate tells the girl what she knows, and takes her hand, leading her to the curtain that is blocking Rick from the rest of the ER. Rick looks up at the sound of the curtain moving, and smiles bravely for his daughter. "Hey, Pumpkin."

That brings on a fresh batch of tears for the young woman. She's in his arms in less than two seconds. "I was so scared, Dad."

Rick nods against her head. "Me too, honey. But I'm fine."

Kate walks over to his bed, and sits next to him, grabbing his free hand in both of hers. They're all quiet in this moment, each of them lost in their own thoughts. The doctor comes in, telling them that Rick has a mild concussion, and will indeed be staying over night for observation.

Once Rick is settled in a room, Alexis says that she's going to inform Martha of what's going on, and that Kate and her dad are not to worry -they'll take care of the guests, and the caterers. She kisses her father's cheek, and wraps Kate in another hug before leaving the two of them alone.

When the door clicks closed behind his daughter, Kate turns and faces Rick. He can see the fear and pain swimming in her eyes. They were so, _so_ close only to end up with him in the hospital, and an unsigned marriage license in his jacket pocket. He opens his arms to her, and she walks the short distance to him, climbs up to the bed to lie beside him, safe in his arms.

Her sobs shake her body violently as she clings to him. His lips find her forehead and he whispers, "I love you, Kate. So much."

She lifts her head, and brings her hand to his cheek, pulling him down to her, pressing her lips to his. "I love you too, Rick." A few more moments of just kissing him calms her. "I really thought you were gone this time. I don't know what I'd do…if…I just…I need you. Always."

"Shh," he whispers. "I'm here. You didn't lose me."

With her head resting over his heart, more proof that she didn't lose him, she nods. "I know," she says, placing a kiss on his chest. "What are we going to do, Rick?"

"About the wedding?" he asks, receiving a nod from her. "Alexis and Mother are bringing everyone up to speed on what happened, the caterers will be paid double, and once I'm released, we are going to get married. I'm done with all the road blocks we've been given. You're mine, Kate Beckett, and tomorrow at this time, you will be Kate Castle."

She looks down at her engagement ring. She's supposed to already _be_ Kate Castle. She wants nothing more than to start her life with him. She can see her future for the first time in fifteen years. She sees him, Alexis, Martha, and the children she wants to have with him -the children she was sure she never wanted before.

**CB**

From his place a good five-hundred feet away, he puts his binoculars down. Then turns to the man he has tied up and gagged -on the receiving end of torture instead of the giving. He starts the car and drives to an abandoned road, where there is an old vacant building. He pulls his hostage out of the car and drags him by the hood of his jacket into the building.

Kneeling down in front of him, he looks the man in the eyes. "You won't be a problem anymore," the older man says, patting his hostages cheek with his gloved hand. "No one else will suffer because of you, Jerry."

Rising to his feet, the gun in his hand pointed at Jerry's head, a single shot rings out. Hunt falls to his knees, picks up his spent shell casing, and digs his bullet out of Jerry's skull.

No one messes with his family and walks away. He knew Rick had been haunted by this man for years; now, nothing is standing in the way of his son's happiness. Or Kate's.

After making sure there isn't a trace of his existence in the building, Hunt grabs the gasoline can out of the back of the car. He pours a good portion of the contents on the dead body of Jerry Tyson, and a trail of the rest of the liquid to the door of the building. He lights a match and drops it; watching as the flame race from their starting point to Tyson's body.

As Hunt drives away, he looks in the rearview mirror as the old wooden building goes up in flames. No one will know he was there, and it will take a damn good medical examiner to identify the charred remains of the Triple Killer. He grins to himself, its a good thing Lanie Parish is Kate's Maid-of-honor.

**To Be Continued…maybe...you decide...**


	2. The Woman in Me

**Authors Note: **Wow guys! you totally blew my mind! 43 reviews for one chapter! That has NEVER happened to me before! I was so inspired that I wrote this chapter and decided to post it today instead of waiting until tomorrow. Why torture you guys?

Again, thank you to **alwayscastle2** for reading this. And be sure to check out her post finale fic, _It Was Supposed to be Always_. It's amazing, just like she is!

Reviews are love, leave some!

-Krystle

* * *

"_When the world wants too much_

_and it feels cold and out of touch_

_its a beautiful place_

_when you kiss my face_

_the woman in me_

_needs you to be_

_the man in my arms_

_to hold tenderly_

'_cause I'm a woman in love_

_And it's you I run to_

_Yeah, the woman in me,_

_Needs the man in you"_

* * *

Back at the house, Alexis is immediately bombarded by her grandmother, Lanie, Ryan and Esposito. All of them talking at the same time, and Alexis doesn't know who to answer first. She tries to speak over them, tries to get them to stop talking long enough for her to get a word in, but that clearly isn't happening anytime soon. She brings her thumb and pointer finger to her mouth and lets out a very loud whistle.

The group of people in front of her jump and simultaneously cover their ears. She takes a deep breath and says, "Thank you. I will answer your questions. One at a time. Starting with Gram."

"What happened, darling?" Martha asks, wringing her hands.

"Dad was in a car accident. A car ran him off the road, the Mercedes is totaled, other than a mild concussion, Dad's fine."

"Does he know who it was?" Ryan asks.

Alexis shakes her head, "Black SUV, tinted windows. He doesn't remember the plate number."

"How's Kate?" Lanie asks, in all their friendship she's never seen Kate as scared as she was when she ran out of the house and to the Rolls Royce.

"She's dealing. I think she's fine knowing that Dad is alive. She's not leaving the hospital until he does. She's scared, worried, but she's not letting that show. She's trying to be strong."

"What do they need us to do, Little Chica?" Javi asks.

Alexis smiles. "Dad and Kate want us to explain what happened, to the guests, and put them up in the hotel in town, pay the caterers double, and get the house ready for a wedding. Since Dad is staying over night, the wedding has been moved to tomorrow."

It takes a couple hours to get all the out of town friends and family to the hotel, checked in and settled. Martha tips the hotel generously for taking in the three-hundred or so wedding guests on such short notice. Alexis, meanwhile, is dealing with the caterers. She pays them the amount that her father told her, and they put the food in the back of their trucks, promising that tomorrow, given the circumstances, they will bring fresh food back instead of using what had already been cooked.

Lanie comes down stairs with an over night bag and a garment bag and places them by the door. She finds Alexis, and asks her if there is anything her father might want.

Shaking her head in the negative, she says, "Honestly, as long as he's got Kate with him, I don't think he could want anything else."

"Those two really are too cheesy for their own good," Lanie says with a smile. "What room are they in?"

**CB**

A light tapping on the door causes Kate to look up. Rick has been sleeping for the better part of four hours; she however couldn't manage to keep her eyes closed. Every time she closes her eyes she sees the burning car, and feels the panic and fear rise up in her chest at the thought of Rick being dead.

When the door opens, Lanie pops her head in. "Hey girl."

Kate smiles weakly at her friend. "Hey."

The door clicks closed behind her and she places the bags in a nearby chair. Walking over to the side of the bed Kate is laying on, she offers her hand to her best friend who instantly grabs it. "How is he?"

A fresh batch of tears pool in Kate's eyes, and she shudders out a breath. "He's alive."

"Honey-"

"I don't think I've ever been that scared, Lanie," Kate admits. Shaking her head, she looks at her sleeping fiancé. "When I got the call, and they told me there was an accident…I got there and saw the Mercedes off the small cliff on fire…I really thought I lost him this time."

"But you didn't," Lanie reminds her, squeezing her hand. "He's here, he's alive."

Kate nods, "I know; and I thank God he got out of that car before it blew. I don't know what I would have done if -" She shakes her head, and buries her face in the crook of his neck and inhales deeply.

"And you won't have to find out," Lanie says, wiping at her own tears that have fallen. "Richard Castle is as stubborn as you are, Kate, it's going to take more than a car wreck to keep him from you."

Kate gives Lanie a half smile. "What's in the bag?"

"I brought you a change of clothes, and your tooth brush and tooth paste. I also brought the garment bag for your dress. I'll take it back to the house and clean it up so it'll be perfect for tomorrow."

Kate looks over at Rick. She doesn't want to leave him, but she knows that she needs to change clothes. She looks up at Lanie, "Stay with him?"

Lanie smiles, "Of course."

Very gently, Kate slips out from under Rick's arms and stands by his bed for a moment. Before she retrieves her bag from the chair, she turns to her friend and gives her a tight hug, trying desperately not to lose her bearings. Lanie hugs her back, rubbing her back soothingly.

"It's okay, Kate," she whispers.

Kate nods. She knows that he's fine. He's here, he's alive, he's breathing. But still the realization that he could have been taken from her makes her sick to her stomach. She grabs her bag and walks to the bathroom in his hospital room, and locks the door. She stares at herself in the mirror. Her hair is disheveled, her make up is destroyed, her eyes, red and puffy from the crying she's done.

Sighing, she brings her hand up to the pins in her hair, and removes them. Shaking out her curls so they fall down her back. She wets a paper towel and gets as much of her smudged make up off her face as she can. Another sigh escapes her lips as she reaches for the zipper on her dress.

A fresh batch of tears spring to her eyes. Rick is supposed to be taking her dress off, not her. His hands should be tugging the zipper down, pushing her dress down, not her. This whole day has turned into a nightmare.

She composes herself and changes into the clothes that Lanie brought for her. She gathers her dress, and carefully places it on the hanger. She runs her hand down the fabric; smiling softly at the thought that her mother once wore this dress; her something old. Zipping up the garment bag, she walks back into the room.

"Hey, there you are," Rick says with a smile.

Her eyes meet his, and she smiles back at him. "Hey, you're awake."

He nods, "Yeah, Lanie was informing me that everything was taken care of."

Making her way back over to his bed, she climbs into his arms again. "I can't thank you guys enough for taking care of everything."

"Girl, it's no problem. You just relax. You're still the bride," Lanie smiles.

Kate gives her a weak smile in return and Rick kisses her head, and squints to the TV that is on in the corner. "Hey, turn that up please?"

Kate reaches over for the remote and increases the volume.

"…_appears to be a structure fire off of route 84. Firefighters have contained the blaze, local police say that it was arson. I just received word that a body has been discovered inside, no word yet on who it may be."_

"As if this day couldn't get any worse," Rick mumbles, "now there's another murder in the Hampton's when we're here."

Kate rolls her eyes, "Well, at least I know you won't be wanting to help our friend Chief Brady this time."

Rick shakes his head, "Nope. I came here with one goal in mind."

"Oh really?"

"Yep," he smiles. "My goal is to make you my wife. It's going to happen."

Lanie rolls her eyes at her friends as Kate smiles at her fiancé, and leans up to kiss him. "It will. Even if we have to go to the court house. I'm done waiting."


	3. For the Love of Him

**Authors Note:** You guys are seriously blowing my mind with the response to this story! I can't thank you enough for your kind words! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well.

Always, big thanks to **alwayscastle2**. She's my extra pair of eyes for all my writing.

Reviews are love, leave some!

-Krystle

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"_For the love of him_

_Make him your reason for living_

_Give all the love you can give him_

_All the love you can_

_For the love of him_

_Make him your reason for living_

_Give all the love you can give him_

_All the love you can__"_

* * *

Kate doesn't sleep well that night. She wakes up every other hour with the same nightmare. The burning car, the fear that the love of her life was dead. She sees herself standing on the side of the road in her wedding gown, pain and heart break etched across her face. Each time she wakes, she has to calm herself. She checks to make sure that Rick is really with her; the beeping of the machine, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the soft snores coming from him, his hand around her back holding her to him on the tiny hospital bed.

He's here.

He's alive.

She didn't lose him.

Their wedding day may have been ruined because of this accident, but she didn't lose him. With a heavy sigh, she decides she's not going to get any sleep. Instead of closing her eyes to try in vain to get some rest, she places her hand over his heart. The beat of the organ a constant reminder that they still have a future together; they still have their 'always'.

The sun rises around six-thirty that morning and she watches as the warm sun rays stream in through the window. Yesterday is gone, a new day has started, and he's here. She looks up at his face; the childlike happiness gone when he's sleeping replaced with the fine lines that come with aging.

The bump on his head, while still there, is a little less noticeable than yesterday. She can't help herself, he's like a drug. Pushing up on her elbow, she takes her free hand and palms his cheek, her thumb caressing his cheek bone. She kisses him softly, first on his forehead, then his cheek, and finally makes it to his lips. Just a peck, thats all she needs.

She smiles to herself when she feels the arm around her tighten, and sees his eyes flutter open and focus on her. He gives her a soft smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she whispers back, and leans back down to kiss him properly. She pulls away, resting her forehead on his - mindful of his bump - "I love you."

He pecks her lips once more, "I love you too." Reaching up, he brushes some of the curls from her face, resting his hand on her cheek. "Did you sleep at all?"

She closes her eyes, and sucks in a breath. "I couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes I was back at the wreck, and you didn't make it."

"Kate," he whispers, kissing her again. "I'm so sorry."

"Shh," running her hand through his hair, "it's not your fault."

"Isn't it? If I had just listened to you and come up to the house instead of staying in the city, this wouldn't have happened."

Tears spring to her eyes and she shakes her head. "No, Rick, don't blame yourself. You did nothing wrong."

He grabs her left hand and runs his thumb over her engagement ring. "We're supposed to be married right now, Kate. Not here."

"I know," she whispers, a hint of sadness in her voice. "But you know what? I'd give up one day of happiness to have you here in my arms instead of wondering if you were in a burning car or not. I love you, and want to marry you. The thought of losing you-" shaking her head as though she's getting the mental images of him burning in the car out, "it makes me sick."

"Kate-"

"No, Babe, just listen to me," she asks, receiving a nod from him. "When I thought you were dead, all that kept going through my head was that I hadn't told you what you meant to me, I never got to be your wife, I never got to call you my husband. You're my always, Rick, and the thought of us not getting that - I don't think I would have survived. How would I? I'd have to watch them put my life in the ground, watch Alexis mourn her father at the same age I mourned my mother; I'd have to watch Martha bury her son," with a shaky breath she finishes, "I couldn't do that, and I'm glad that I don't have to."

He kisses her then. What else could he do? When their kiss breaks, his eyes are smiling. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"Me either," she agrees, resuming her position, resting her head on his chest, holding him close.

He kisses her head softly, runs his fingers through her curls and whispers, "Sleep Kate. I'm here."

She sighs sleepily, and closes her eyes. This time, the images that play behind her eyelids are happy ones. A marriage, a pregnancy, a family outing. Glimpses of the future she longs for with him, the future that was almost taken from them.

**CB**

When they wake up, its to the nurse coming in to check Rick's vitals one last time before he can be released. Kate moves to get off the bed, she stands beside him, never letting his hand go. Once the nurse gets everything she needs -temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiration - Kate reaches for her phone and sends off a text to Alexis, asking her to please bring her father a change of clothes.

"You ready to get out of here?" she asks, squeezing his hand.

"More than ready. These hospital beds are terrible."

Kate chuckles. "Well, it probably didn't help with me laying with you."

"No," he says smiling, "thats the only good thing about them. They're so small that you couldn't roll away."

She rolls her eyes. "When do I ever roll away from you?"

"Good point." He shrugs, then tugs her down to sit next to him. "You ready to get married?"

"You have no idea."

"Oh, I think _I do_," he grins, causing her to smile at his pun. "I can still make you smile."

She nods. "Always."

The door to his room opens, and a red head pops in, "Can I come in?"

Kate smiles, "Of course, Martha."

Martha walks in, drops the bag in the chair and looks over in the hospital bed at her son. She told herself that she wasn't going to cry, but he's her baby. He's all she's ever had, her pride and joy. The thought of almost losing him is too much to bear.

Rick opens his arms for his mother and she swiftly moves to the unoccupied side of his bed, and pulls him to her, her tears falling freely. "I thought we lost you, Richard."

"I'm fine, Mother," he assures her, and kisses her cheek. "Just a bump on the head."

Leaning back to get a good look at him, she smiles. "I brought you a change of clothes, darling." Looking over at Kate she says, "you as well, Katherine."

"Thank you, Martha."

The older woman nods, "Don't mention it, kiddo."

**CB**

Another hour later, both Rick and Kate are in a fresh pair of clothes, and signing the last of the forms for him to be released. A nurse walks into his room with a wheelchair and he groans. "I can walk, I don't need that thing."

His nurse chuckles, "Sorry, Mr. Castle, hospital policy."

He rolls his eyes, "Alright, _fine_."

"Don't worry, Castle," Kate grins. "I'll push you."

He raises an eyebrow at her, "How about you sit on my lap and Mother drives this thing?"

"Nice try, Rick," Kate says, helping him into the chair. Instead of pushing him or sitting on his lap, she clings to his hand and lets Martha wheel him out.

The car ride back to their Hampton's home is made in silence; apart from Martha. Kate has her head resting on Rick's shoulder, as Martha goes on about everything being set up for the wedding. The caterers are back and getting the food prepared, Lanie and Alexis are setting up the chairs in the yard, Javier and Kevin are reprinting the programs as the date needed to be changed to May 13th.

"My darlings, it's going to a fabulous wedding," she smiles.

Rick squeezes Kate's hand. "I can't wait."

A content, happy sigh slips past her lips. Soon. She'll be married to Rick in just a few short hours, and nothing is going to get in the way of that this time. Nothing, and no one.


	4. I Lost My Heart When I Found You

**Authors Note:** Again, thank you to the response to this story. I really didn't expect to wake up every morning to my email containing multiple reviews and alerts. Way to boost a girl's ego! I hope you like this chapter!

Special thanks to **alwayscastle2 **for looking this over.

Reviews are love, leave some!

-Krystle

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"_Kiss me all over_

_Is all I can say_

_I've waited a lifetime_

_To feel this way_

_You leave me breathless _

_And out of my mind_

_I'm just so helpless_

_So baby be kind__"_

* * *

The car pulls up to the house, and they are greeted by their family. Alexis engulfs Castle in a hug; so glad that he's home and safe. Javi and Kevin walk up to him, each clapping him on his shoulders telling him that he's not allowed to scare them like that again. He chuckles but responds by saying he won't. Lanie grins at him, giving him a friendly hug and kiss on the cheek.

Kate watches her family welcome Rick back to the house, and it makes her smile. What started out as a shadowing for his new book series has turned into this wonderful, sometimes dysfunctional, family and she wouldn't have it any other way. Lanie grabs Kate's free hand and smiles.

"You ready to get married, sweetie?"

Kate smiles. "More than." Turning to Rick, she loops her arms around his neck and raises up on her toes to kiss him. "See you soon, lover," she whispers.

Rick holds her to him for a few moments, kissing her lips softly, moving to her cheek, and finally down to her neck. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kate returns.

Lanie looks at Alexis and they both roll their eyes. Alexis grabs her dad's arm, as Lanie grabs Kate's, "Alright, love birds, we have a wedding to get ready for."

"Yeah," Alexis says with a nod, "and I really would like to keep my breakfast down."

"I'll see you soon," he whispers to her as Lanie drags her in the opposite direction of where Alexis is dragging him.

**CB**

Walking into the room that she's using as her changing area, Lanie close behind, Kate smiles. Her wedding dress is hanging off of the hook on the bathroom door, and by looking at you you'd never guess that it was at a crash site covered in ash and dirt. It looks perfect once again, no doubt thanks to Lanie and Martha.

"You okay, sweetie?" Lanie asks, walking up to Kate and looping her arm through hers.

Kate nods, "Yeah. I'm getting there."

"Honey, he's fine. He's down in the pool house getting ready for your _wedding_," Lanie reminds her.

"I know. I'm so grateful that he's okay," stopping herself there, she shakes her head. She will not keep going to that place. All she wants to do is marry Rick. She's more than ready. "You know what? I don't want to dwell on what happened yesterday. He's here, he's alive. And I just want to be his wife." Kate smiles over at Lanie. "What do you say? Wanna help me with my hair and make up?"

Letting out a patented Lanie squeal, her friend responds, "You know it girl."

**CB**

Alexis walks with her father and the guys to the pool house. Kevin and Javier let themselves in and Rick turns to his daughter. "I don't have a suit."

"Don't worry dad," Alexis smiles. "What kind of 'best man' would I be if I didn't get you a replacement? I kept all your measurements, and emailed them to the tailor here in the Hampton's; picked it up this morning. It's hanging up in the room."

"You really are the perfect daughter," he grins.

"We knew this already," she giggles, and leans up to kiss his cheek. "You guys go change, and I'll wait out here until its safe to come in."

Once all the men were in their suits, Alexis ties each of their bow ties. "Dang, Little Castle, you do this often?" Javi asks, admiring Alexis's handy work.

Alexis laughs, "Are you kidding? Dad can barely tie his shoes, how else do you expect him to look good at events?"

"Hey," Rick says, looking over at his daughter who has since moved on to Kevin's tie. "I tie my shoes just fine thank you."

"Of course you do, Dad."

Both Javi and Kevin chuckle at the banter between father and daughter. "I hope Sara Grace and I have the same relationship that you guys do."

"Don't worry, Detective Ryan, I'm sure you will," Alexis smiles.

"Alexis, we've been over this," Kevin says, "when I'm not on duty it's Kevin."

"Sorry, habit."

"Yo, bro," Javi turns to Rick. "How's this going to work at the precinct? You and Beckett both being 'Castle'?"

Rick smiles. "She's going to be Beckett at the precinct. She's built her career with her maiden name, dirt bags of New York know that there's no messing with Beckett."

Kevin nods, "No kidding, I'm glad I've never been on her bad side."

**CB**

Lanie is putting the finishing touches on Kate's hair when there is a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Lanie calls out.

"Dr. Parish, it's Jim," Kate's dad answers.

Kate smiles, "Come in, Dad."

Jim walks in, and takes a breath at the sight of his daughter. He never got to see her the previous day; everything happening so quickly. It's in this moment that he wishes Johanna could be here most.

"I'll leave you two alone," Lanie says, stepping past Jim and out of the room.

Kate stands and twirls in the dress. "What do you think?"

"You're beautiful, Katie."

"You think so?"

Jim nods. "You look just like your mother. She would have loved to see this."

"I know," she says sadly. "I wish she were here too. She would love Rick."

"She would," Jim agrees, and then chuckles. "She would be thrilled that her favorite author is going to be her son-in-law. Although, with how long it took you guys, what with your dancing around each other for four years, she would have -"

"Said 'I told you so'!" Kate and Jim say at the same time, laughing together at the shared memories of Johanna. "I feel closer to Mom in this dress; it's almost like she's here, you know?"

"I was hoping that's how you'd feel," he says, stepping forward to give his girl a hug. "It's about time to start, what do you say we head down?"

"Let's go, I'm done waiting."

**CB**

Soft music begins to play as the wedding party lines up. Alexis walks down first with Lanie, Kevin walks with Martha and helps her take her seat, Javier walks with Maddie. Standing next to her father, Alexis wraps her arm around his when the wedding march starts, and they share a smile.

Looking to Kate, Jim whispers, "That's our cue, you ready, Katie-bug?"

As Kate's eyes meet Rick's, she smiles, "I've been ready, daddy."

They know the walk down the aisle is less than ten feet, but it feels as though it's a mile. Kate and Jim finally reach Rick, and everyone sits back down.

"Who gives this woman to this man?"

Jim smiles at his daughter and Rick. "Her late mother, and I do." He leans in, kissing her on the cheek and then turns to Rick to shake his hand. "Take care of my baby, Richard."

Rick nods. "Always."

Jim nods, knowing that word holds deep meaning for the couple, and places Kate's hand in Rick's.

Kate hands her bouquet over to Lanie, and reaches for Rick's right hand. The ceremony goes by in a blur, the lovers lost in the moment; they've made it.

Rick squeezes Kate's hands when the preacher says he can recite his vows. Smiling down at his bride, he takes a breath, "Kate, what can I say to you that you don't already know? I'm a best selling author, but I will _never_ be able to conjure up enough words to describe how much I love you, or how much you mean to me. Everyday with you is something new and exciting. From the first time you flashed your badge in my face, to the first time you arrested me, and every moment in between, I've fallen in love with you. You're my partner, my best friend, my lover, and I'm so proud to be able to call you my wife. I can't wait to start our 'always'. I love you."

"Rick, it's no secret that when we first met, you drove me insane. Not only were you a civilian following me around like a lost puppy, you were the _definition_ of 'man-child'. Somewhere along the way, our banter became flirting. Looking back, there were plenty of missed opportunities; but you never pushed me. You waited for me. You chipped away at the walls I so carefully built around my heart. I can't pin point the exact date that I fell in love with you, because every morning when I wake up, and I see you laying next to me, I fall in love all over again; I've waited a lifetime to feel this way. I'm so excited to start this next phase of life with you, have a family with you, call you my husband. You truly are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I love you with all of my heart, always."

The preacher gives his speech about the wedding band having no beginning and no end, that it goes on for eternity; he asks for both bands, which Lanie and Alexis hand over.

"Richard, place this ring on Katherine's finger and repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed." Rick does as he's told, and grins as Kate places his wedding band on his finger. "It is with great honor, and the great state of New York, I now pronounce you, Man and Wife. You may kiss your bride."

Kate's smile is wide, and happy, Rick's smile mirrors hers. Reaching up, he wipes the tears from her cheeks, and pulls her towards him. "I love you," he whispers, as his lips press into hers.

Their guests clap, Lanie and Alexis dry their eyes, everything going unnoticed by the bride and groom.

When the kiss breaks, they rest their foreheads on each other. "I love you, too," Kate whispers back, wrapping her arms around his neck, and tucks her head under his chin.

They did it. They're finally married.


	5. Two Hearts, One Love

**Authors Note:** Thank you, thank you, thank you! Over 100 reviews for this little story! I'm blown away.

Thanks to **alwayscastle2** for the read through.

Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Reviews are love, leave some!

-Krystle

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"_Two hearts one love beating together_

_I am yours you are mine_

_Two hearts one love always forever_

_Standing the test of time__"_

* * *

The reception breaks up around one in the morning. Rick had cars waiting to drive their guests either back to the hotel in town or to their homes in the city. Kate is sitting at the wedding party table, Alexis's head resting on her lap, the young woman fighting sleep, refusing to go up to bed until they do. Martha had already excused herself for the night as well as Jim.

Looking around at the nearly empty back yard, Kate soaks everything in one last time. At one point in her life, marriage never seemed like a possibility let alone finding the missing piece of her heart. Out of habit, she finds him, he's making small talk with the few caterers who have been stuck with the clean up chore, she smiles when he pulls out a stack of bills and tips the three young men generously for being able to put together another meal and come back a day later than they were intended to.

The DJ has already packed up and gone, yet Javi and Lanie are still on the dance floor cheek to cheek. She shakes her head; her two friends are so in love with each other and she wishes that they would just commit to each other instead of dancing around each other. She inwardly laughs at the thought; she and Rick did the same thing.

Absentmindedly, she's running her hand through her step-daughters hair. She's a mother now. Although Alexis is grown, the young Castle knows that she can come to Kate if she needs anything, and that she will only tell her father if she thinks he needs to know, or if she's in danger.

Rick finally walks back over to his bride and daughter and holds his hand out to Alexis, "Come on, Pumpkin, lets get to bed."

Alexis takes her dad's hand and waits while he helps Kate up. He wraps his arm around Alexis, and laces his fingers with Kate's, bringing it up to his lips for a soft kiss. The couple escorts Alexis to her room, and she turns and gives her dad a kiss on the cheek and gives Kate a hug. "I'm happy for you both. Good night."

"Good night, Lexis," Kate smiles, keeping her emotions in check. The relationship between her and Alexis started off easy, and then when she left the city after the shooting hurting Castle in the process, Alexis built her own wall. It took a lot of convincing after she and Castle got together that she was in it for the long haul, that she wouldn't hurt him anymore because she couldn't imagine going through life without him. She tried, and was miserable every minute of everyday.

Castle kisses his daughter on the forehead. "Good night, honey."

**CB**

Walking into their room at the far end of the house, Rick locks the door behind them. Turning around, he sees Kate, standing in the middle of the room in her wedding gown; and he swears he's never seen anything more beautiful. He walks over to her, and slips his arms around her waist, and pulls her to him.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" he asks, softly kissing her cheek down to her neck.

A happy sigh slips past her lips as she brings her arms up and around his neck. "Technically, no, since it's past midnight."

She can feel him smile against her neck. "Well," he says, as he pulls away to look at her. Brushing a stubborn curl from her face. "I have never seen a bride as beautiful as you. You're glowing, Kate, and I'm so proud to call you my wife."

Her cheeks turn crimson, as she raises up and kisses him softly. "Help me out of this dress, Mr. Castle?"

"Gladly, _Mrs._ Castle."

**CB**

They lie there in bed, the room lit by the fire he built, completely spent. Their post coital bliss etched on their faces. She traces random patterns on his chest, as he does the same along her back. The diamond of her rings catch the light from the fire, and she kisses his chest softly.

This is how it's supposed to be. Wrapped in her lovers arms, safe, happy, loved, and content. Everything about this moment, she wants committed to memory. He tugs gently on her hair, kissing her head, just a gentle brush of his lips, "What are you thinking about?"

She kisses his chest once more, "How perfect this is."

"It is pretty perfect, isn't it?"

"It really is," she says, turning in his arms to look down at him. "I don't think I've ever been this happy before. I never thought that I deserved this kind of life; so now that I've got it, I want to savor it."

"You have the rest of your life to savor this, Kate," Rick says, smiling at her. He cups her cheek and pulls her to him for a long, slow kiss. "I'm not going anywhere."

She smiles lovingly at him. "Third times the charm," she whispers.

"_Who knows Castle, maybe third times the charm?__"_

"_Could be.__"_

He smiles, coming out of the brief memory. "Third times the charm," he agrees.

**CB**

The small bullpen hasn't slowed down since the fire was put out and the body was found. Chief Brady has had his hands full; between the press wanting information, and trying to get his Medical Examiner to get the DNA results to him as soon as possible, his stress level is at a ten.

Walking into the morgue, Brady nods his head at his ME. "Do you have my DNA results yet?"

"As a matter of fact," the older man says, "No. Body was too charred for DNA, however, I ran the victim's dental records; our Bar-B-Qued friend's name is Jerald Tyson."

"Tyson?" Brady asks, his eyebrows furrowing. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"I thought it sounded familiar as well," the ME says, "So I ran his name through the system. Guy is a wanted fugitive believed to have been killed last year. Turns out he faked his death, but he wasn't lucky enough to fake his way out of this one."

"What kind of record does he have?"

"Murder," handing the sheet over to Brady. "All of his current case files are coming out of the twelfth precinct in New York City."

When Brady heard 'twelfth precinct' he remembers back to a year before when Castle and his girlfriend were staying at his vacation home. "Thanks, Doc."

**CB**

The phone ringing on her desk pulls her from her thoughts. "This is Captain Gates."

"_Hello, Captain Gates, my name is David Brady, the Chief of police here in the Hampton__'__s.__"_

"What can I do for you, Chief Brady?"

"_I__'__m sure you__'__ve heard of the fire we had here yesterday?__"_

"I did," Gates answers, "There was a body found, the case was ruled a homicide."

"_Correct,__" _he says. _"__Turns out the dental records we got back on the body came back as a positive match for Jerald Tyson. It says here that his recent murders fell into the hands of your Detective Katherine Beckett.__"_

Gates nods, "That would be correct. She had mentioned something about his death being a rouse. Looks like she's right."

"_Well, if you could inform her of this,__" __Brady says, __"__it would be much appreciated.__"_

"As soon as she gets back from her honeymoon, I will deliver the message," Gates says, making a sticky note reminder. "Thank you for your information, Chief."


	6. Look At Me

**Authors Note:** Hey guys, sorry it's taken so long for an update! I've recently started physical therapy for my back -I have Degenerative Disc Disease, which is basically where I don't have cartilage between my vertebrae, it's bone on bone. Anyhow, here's this next chapter.

All mistakes are mine, as my second pair of eyes, alwayscastle2 is away for the three day weekend for Memorial Day here in the US. **Scratch that!** **Caskett092313** stepped in and edited this chapter. Thanks!

Reviews are love, leave some!

-Krystle

* * *

Chapter 6

_"How do you do that, babe?_

_Make me feel like I'm the only girl alive for you_

_I don't know what it is that makes me fall like this_

_First time in your arms, I knew_

_The way you held me, I knew that this could be_

_What I've been waiting to find"_

* * *

The sunlight streams into their bedroom far too soon for his liking. Looking at the clock on his bedside table the red numbers read 8:30. They have to be at the airport by ten or nine to check in. Their plane leaves at twelve. He turns his head and a smile slowly dances upon his lips.

Reaching a hand out; he brushes the hair away from Kate's face. His hand trails down to her bare arm and back up to where it rests on her hip. The sun hits his wedding band as the events of the previous day replayed in hismind. Rick can't help himself. He has to kiss her. Even if it wakes her up.

Leaning in; he kisses her forehead, then the corner of her eye, down her cheek and finally he reaches her lips. It's a soft, innocent kiss. Just a press of his lips on hers causes Kate to stirs in her sleep. Her breathing changes and soon she's participating in the kiss. She opens her mouth willingly to his probing tongue. Bringing her free hand to his cheek, Kate caresses him as his two-day old stubble tickles her palm.

"Good morning, _Mrs. Castle_," he whispers once the kiss breaks.

She smiles, she'll never get tired of hearing that. "Good morning, _Mr. Castle_."

Leaning in to kiss her again, he pulls her to him. At that moment it hits him; this is how he will wake up everyday for the rest of his life. He's never felt more excited, not even on Christmas. "What do you say we head down for breakfast and family time before Alexis drives us to JFK?"

Family time. Kate has a family again. She's someone's step-mother; she's someone's wife. This is her reality now. Nodding; she removes the bedding from her naked self from their love making last night; she grins at him. "But first, I need to shower."

Kate saunters away from Rick. She is half way to the bathroom when he wraps his arms around her from behind. "It would be a shame to waste water with two showers, don't you think?"

Turning in his arms; she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her lips. "Definitely."

**CB**

After a long shower, Kate and Rick finally make it downstairs for breakfast. Rick places their bags by the door and makes sure that their passports are easy to get to. Walking into the kitchen; Rick falls for the sight before him and falls in love with Kate all over again. She and Alexis are standing next to each other putting the finishing touches on fruit bowl; they are laughing about something he missed.

Alexis smiles and bumps Kate's arm; causing Kate to shake her head. Rick walks up to the breakfast bar and steals a grape.

"Dad!" Alexis says as Kate smacks his hand away.

"What?" he asks innocently. "I was hungry."

Kate shakes her head and Alexis holds up a hand. "You can stop there. I don't want to know why."

Changing the subject; Kate turns to her step-daughter. "So, do you have any plans for the three weeks we're away?"

"I'm going to stay here actually." she says looking down with a smile. "One of the guys in my study group from last semester has a vacation home here in the Hampton's too. We were going to hang out some."

Kate nudges her arm. "Is he something you like, Lex?"

"Maybe..." the red head answers. Alexis looks up at her dad, who looks a bit uneasy. "Dad?"

He smiles softly at his daughter. "You're an adult now and I completely trust you, Alexis. Just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt."

She smiles as she walks around the island and wraps her arms around him. "Thanks, Dad."

"I agree with your Dad." Kate says, smiling at her family. "You're an adult; but if you need to talk, do not hesitate to pick up the phone tocall one of us."

"But it's your honeymoon, I don't want to bother you guys."

"It maybe our honeymoon, Alexis." Kate says as she walks around the island to stand behind Rick. "You are our daughter first and foremost. Besides one of the things that I fell in love with when I fell for your Dad; was how much he loved you and the fact that he would drop whatever he was doing to be there for you. I knew when I saw you two together as father and daughter for the first time that I was a goner."

Castle grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "Kate is right, Pumpkin. Don't hesitate to call. We will always answer when you call."

**CB**

After hugging Alexis goodbye in front of the many check -in counters for the countless airliners at JFK, the newlyweds grabbed their luggage and went to the counter to check-in with the airliner they were flying with that day. The only carry-ons were Rick's laptop and Kate's iPad. They made it through the security check; they found their terminal. When boarding began they handed their tickets to the airline employee that was standing at the podium.

They found their seats in first class with ease and got comfortable while the rest of the plane boarded. Rick reached over and laced their fingers before bringing her hand up to kiss it. "You ready for this?"

Kate looks over at him and smiles. "I can't wait. Three weeks of just us; the clear ocean and relaxation. It sounds like heaven."

"It sure does." he agrees. He chuckles silently to himself and his wife raises an eyebrow at him. "Sorry."

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking about the last time we flew together."

She smiles as she remembers their last flight together. "It seems like it was ages ago."

He nods. "You were so mad that I followed you."

"I didn't want to risk you getting hurt. It was something I had to do and I didn't want to bring anyone down with me. I knew what I was risking. I couldn't ask you to risk anything."

"You had to have known that I wouldn't let you do it by yourself by that point in our partnership."

She nods. "I did, but I was trying hard to ignore it." Looking over at him, she shakes her head. "By that point, I was already falling for you. I was with Josh, but my heart was already with you."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was scared."

"Of what?"

"Of you; Rick." she says as she raised the arm rest between them to turn to face him better. "I knew how strong your feelings were for me and I knew how strong my feelings for you were. But a part of me was so scared to take that final step towards you. I couldn't lose what we had. Your friendship meant so much to me; you were my best friend and I couldn't risk that if we didn't work out. I knew that once we crossed that line from friends to more than friends that it would be virtually impossible to go back to being friends if we broke up."

He nods; taking in all the information she's just revealed to him. "You know what... I'm glad we didn't get together back then."

"Really?"

"Yeah." he says as he pulled her to him for a short kiss. "I think we still had some growing of our own to do before we were ready to jump into this. I have no regrets."

"Me either." she whispers as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I never have regrets about us."


	7. Baby, Don't Rush

**Authors Note: **Hey guys. Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up. I have returned to work following my back injury, so the need to be a responsible adult has taken priority (unfortunately)...and I work in a grocery store, so I am on my feet for eight hours a day...and when I get off I literally feel like chopping my feet off...which has nothing to do with my hands not typing...I blame that on the pictures of the Maldives that I try to describe in this chapter...I really do NOT do the pictures justice. I mean, have you Googled the Maldives? I need to marry a rich man so we can honeymoon for three weeks there! Holy Moley, I'd never come home!

As always, huge ginormous thanks to my other half, my bestie for life, my partner in crime (since she's called me hers, I feel the need to return the favor), **alwayscastle2**. If you guys have read her story _Unemployed_she has the sequel to it up; _Look How Far We've Come._ I advice you check both stories out, as they are simply perfection.

Reviews are love, leave some!

-Krystle

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"_Stopping every minute just because_

_you__'__re in it_

_Wishing everyday was Sunday, you__'__re_

_right next to me_

_It__'__s how its supposed to be_

_Hanging on every touch_

_Baby don__'__t rush_

_Baby don__'__t rush__"_

* * *

The flight from New York to London took close to nine hours. Rick managed to write a majority of the time; Kate's head resting on his shoulder. The pilot comes over the intercom alerting the passengers that they are making their decent into the city of London and that their seat belts need to be fastened. Looking down at his wife who had fallen asleep somewhere over the Atlantic, he makes sure that she's buckled.

He saves his work, and puts his computer away. He turns to Kate and kisses her forehead. "Kate, honey, we're landing."

She stirs, and buries her face further into his neck. "What time is it?"

"New York time it's eight at night; London it's one in the morning."

"How long was I asleep?" Kate asks, sitting up a little as the plane starts to shake from the decent.

"A couple hours."

She nods. "Jet lag is gonna be a bitch."

As soon as they're off the plane, Rick sends Alexis a text saying that they arrived safely in London. Alexis responds quickly, with strict instructions for them to let her know they arrived at their final destination as well, no matter what the time difference is.

**CB**

After a half hour layover in London, and another ten hours in the air, the newlyweds finally arrive at their destination. Both Rick and Kate are beyond exhausted; agreeing that a shower and the comfort of a bed sounds better than the beach.

The shuttle to their private villa waits for them outside the doors of the airport. Rick ushers Kate in the direction of the man holding up a sign that reads: Welcome Mister and Missus Castle. Loading their luggage in the back, the man smiles and in his accent welcomes the newly weds to the island.

Climbing in the back of the shuttle after Kate, Rick wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him. "It's beautiful here," she whispers, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It is," he agrees. "I'm excited to relax on the beach - after we sleep."

She nods. "My internal clock is so messed up. What time is it here?"

"Excuse me," Rick calls to the man driving. "What time is it?"

"Six-thirty in the evening, sir," the driver answers.

Rick nods, and pulls out his phone - which has already automatically set itself to the correct time. "Six-thirty here," he mumbles and does the math in his head, "that means it's nine in the morning back home."

Kate looks up at him with wide, sleepy eyes. "How can you possibly do math right now? I can't manage to remember what we had for breakfast today. Yesterday?"

He chuckles. "I don't even know. Want to call Alexis?"

She nods, "Face-time with her." Rick looks down at her and raises an eyebrow. "What? I miss her."

"I do too, honey," he smiles, kissing her forehead. Tapping on Alexis's contact card, he opens the face-time feature and waits for the call to connect. Angling the phone so that Kate is on the screen too, they both smile when Alexis appears on the screen. "Good morning, Pumpkin."

"Hey guys!" Alexis smiles. "You all settled?"

"No, we're on our way to our villa now, we just wanted to call and check in," Rick answers. "We miss you already."

"I miss you guys too," she says, her voice dropping a little. "But you guys are going to have a blast."

"Its amazing here," Kate chimes in, "We're excited to explore."

"I bet. Don't forget souvenirs," Alexis reminds them. "I don't think you'll hear the end of it from Detective Esposito and Ryan. Or Lanie for that matter."

"No, probably not," Rick agrees, making a mental note to get their friends and family gifts.

"We just wanted to check in with you," Kate smiles, and holds back a yawn. "We're going to get something to eat and then probably go to bed. Jet lag is setting in."

"Alright, well, we'll talk more later this week," Alexis promises, and blows the camera a kiss. "Love you guys! Have fun!"

"Love you too," they say at the same time. Once the call is over, Rick places his phone back in his pocket. "Look, honey, I think we're here."

Kate turns her head as the shuttle turns down a private road. Once they come to a stop, their driver gets out and opens the door for the couple, and retrieves their luggage. He gives them brief instructions on how to get in contact with the main house via the telephone in their room. He informs them that housekeeping comes in at the end of every week unless needed before, and that their minibar as well as their refrigerator is stocked with food and drink.

Walking into their little house, Kate gasps. "Oh my gosh. Rick! This is beautiful!"

He nods in agreement, "The pictures don't do this place justice."

The couple walks through the living room, to deposit their bags in the bedroom. Upon seeing the room they'll call 'theirs' for the next three weeks, Kate is left in even more shock than before. The bed is bigger than the one they share in the loft, the plush white bedding looks more than welcoming after their travels.

They have a more than spectacular view from their bed. The ocean is literally right outside their room. The large windows open in the middle to reveal their back deck, with steps leading down into the crystal clear ocean water, as well as a built in pool, perfect for the both of them.

Following Rick into the bathroom for inspection, she wonders to herself how places like this can possibly exist. They have two sinks - which she's not surprised by as they have two back at the loft - a bath tub that you can swim in, tiled steps leading up to the marble bowl, and a giant walk in shower - both of which she's sure will be used frequently.

"Babe, do we _really_ have to go out and explore?" Kate asks, spinning around to look at Rick. "This place is amazing."

Rick walks over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her flush against him. "Well, not right away," he says, leaning down to kiss her softly. "But we did promise Alexis and our friends that we'd bring them gifts."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, her fingers play with the ends of his hair. "Yeah, why did we do that?"

"Cause we love them?"

Kate nods slightly, but brings her hands down to rest on his chest. Playing with the buttons on his shirt, she looks up at him, her hazel eyes turning a dark brown. "You know, I think we deserve some relaxation after the hours we've spent on planes."

His hands tighten on her waist. "You do, huh?"

"Yeah," she nods, her fingers popping the buttons on his shirt, exposing his skin. She dips her head, her lips meeting the newly exposed flesh. "Take me to bed, Rick."

**CB**

She knows she should be getting some rest. The flights were exhausting, and her body is begging her to just close her eyes; but she finds something to occupy her mind with as she rests on her husband's chest.

She thinks about their past, the events that lead to her knocking on his door that stormy night and blasting through the last piece of concrete that protected her heart. Her heart has always belonged to him. Long before she'd like to admit.

Fast forwarding to now, she kisses his chest softly and thinks about their future. Everything that they are, and everything that they're going to be. Five years down the line she's picturing summers at their Hampton's beach house, with a rambunctious four year old running through the house, and her, standing with a slightly rounded belly watching as Rick chases him around on all fours.

_Him?_

She wants kids. After the case with Benny, if she's being honest; she's wanted kids since they gave the little boy to his parents. She knows that Rick is already an amazing father, but she'd never seen him with an infant until that case. It's true what they say. There is nothing sexier than a man with a baby.

He'd told her that it was up to her; that he wouldn't push her on the subject of starting a family until she was ready. True to his word, he let the subject go and hasn't mentioned it again…

She rolls until she can look up to at his face. Leaning in, she trails kisses up his neck, to his ear where she laves the lobe with her tongue. Smiling when she feels him stir beneath her, she continues her journey down his jaw, and finally, _finally_ reaches his lips.

"I love you," she whispers.

The arm around her back tightens. "I love you, too."

"Rick," she says, a hand resting on his cheek. He cracks open an eye and she smiles. "Let's have a baby."


	8. Feel This

**Authors Note:** Hey guys. I apologize for this chapter taking so long, but this crazy little thing called 'life' happened...and well, you know how that goes. This chapter is mostly filler, and there's a small time jump...but its what I got for now.

Also, tell me in a review or PM me if you'd like to see the M rated moments of this story...I've been toying with the idea for a couple of weeks. But, you guys will be the deciding factor.

As always, thank you to **alwayscastle2** for reading this...on her road trip no less! She's amazing. She's my best friend. And well, you all should be jealous. LOL

Reviews are love, leave some.

-Krystle

**Disclaimer:** figured I should probably clarify that the characters and the songs used do not belong to me. If they did, I surly wouldn't be working at a deli in a grocery store, and I'd be driving a slightly better car. Nope. Not mine.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Feel this__  
__Can you feel this__  
__My heart beating out of my chest__  
__Feel this__  
__Can you feel this__  
__Salvation, under my breath_

* * *

Both of Rick's eyes are open now, he blinks a few times before his gaze settles on Kate's dancing hazel eyes. She's smiling, proud that she's shocked him with her words. He tightens his arm across her back.

"What?" he asks. He just has to make sure she said what he thought she did.

She repeats herself. "Let's have a baby."

Now he's smiling. "Kate are - are you sure? I don't want you to rush into anything you aren't ready for."

"Babe, I'm sure," she promises. "I've only ever been sure of two things in my life. Marrying you, and having your baby. I don't want to waste any more time. We've seen how short life can be, and I don't want to put off having a family with you. Please?"

He buries his hand in her hair, leaning up slightly to capture her lips in a bruising kiss. "God, Kate. Yes."

"Really?"

"Really," he echoes. "Let's have a baby." He rolls them over, covering her body with his. His roaming hand settles low on her abdomen. "A baby!"

Kate laughs. "I'm not pregnant yet, Rick."

He waggles his eyebrows at her. "I bet by the time we get home, you will be."

"Cocky much, writer-boy?"

He grins and leans down to nibble on her neck. "You want to find out, Mrs. Castle?"

**CB**

_Three weeks later_

While they enjoyed their honeymoon - the three weeks of relaxation, and uninterrupted alone time, Rick and Kate were happy to be home. They missed their family and their friends; and the comfort of their own bed.

Kate smiles when they step into the loft. "I've never been so happy to be home."

"Neither have I," Rick agrees, dropping their luggage at the door. They'll worry about it later. "I had a great time being away from all the distractions, but I missed Alexis."

"Me too," Kate says, looking around. "Speaking of, where is that girl of ours?"

Rick shrugs, and adds, "Where's Mother?"

"Do you think they forgot we were coming in today?"

"Could be," he says, pulling out his phone. "I'll just shoot Alexis a text really quick."

Kate kisses Rick's cheek and departs to their bedroom. She sighs happily and lays back on the bed. Rolling over, she pulls Rick's pillow close to her, seeking out his scent. He joins her in the room a few minutes later, and smiles at the vision of his wife laying there; eyes closed, nose buried in his pillow. He climbs in bed next to her, and pulls her to him, her breath tickling his neck.

"Did you get a hold of Alexis?"

"She and Mother are out at dinner and a play," Rick answers. "They knew we were getting in today, and also knew that we would be exhausted from the flight."

"Mmm," Kate hums, cuddling deeper into her husband. "I love you."

"Love you too, Kate. Sleep," he whispers, before his eyes slip closed as well.

**CB**

They had been home for a couple of weeks now, and everything was falling into place. The last of Kate's things had been moved into the loft and looking around the space you could see how easily Rick and Kate's lives blended together.

The elephant figurines that she had on a bookshelf in her apartment, now reside in the middle of the coffee table, her own library of books had been combined with his. Everything was perfect.

So when Kate came out of the bedroom - clearly she had been crying - Rick was confused. She walks right over to him, and wraps her arms around his waist, hiding her face in his neck.

"Kate, what's wrong?"

She shakes her head. "Just hold me, Rick. Just for a minute."

"Of course," he whispers, kissing the side of her head. "As long as you need."

After she calms down, she pulls away, and fingers his shirt where her tears had fallen. "Sorry," she mumbles.

"It's just a shirt, honey. It'll dry," he says, wiping away the remaining tears on her cheeks. "What's wrong?"

She takes a shaky breath, "I thought I was pregnant."

"You thought -"

"I'm not," she cuts him off. "I guess with all the excitement of the last month; the wedding, thinking you were dead, getting Bracken…I guess I was just stressed. But I really hoped."

Rick pulls her to him. "Kate, honey, it's not going to happen right away," he says, his hands rubbing soothing circles on her back. "You just stopped taking your birth control last month. It needs time to work it's way out of your system."

"How can you be sure that it's not already out of my system, Rick?" she asks. "What if something's wrong with me? What if I _can__'__t_ get pregnant? What if I took one risk too many because of my job and -"

"Katherine Houghton Castle, stop," Rick demands, and watches as her eyes grow wide at the use of her full name. "There is _nothing_ wrong with you. We will keep trying, Kate. I will give you a baby. There are options, if we still have trouble. But I promise you, that I will make you a mother."

**CB**

"Gosh, who knew filling out paperwork could be this exhausting?" Kate sighed, dropping her pen from her cramped hand.

"I did!" Rick says, a twinkle in his eye. "Why do you think I never help you with paper work at the precinct?"

Kate picks up the nearest object - a crumbled up piece of paper she had messed up on - and throws it at her husband. "That is different, Rick. This paper work is for the Social Security and DMV."

They had spent all morning waiting in lines to get the packets that were sprawled across the kitchen island. Having been married for a month, and back home for two weeks, Kate decided to get her new identity.

She's still going to be 'Beckett' at work, but her license and social security card will read 'Katherine Castle'. She still gets giddy thinking about it.

Finally after what seemed like hours of filling out papers, she shoves them into the properly addressed envelopes, ready to send out with the next days mail. Rick had retreated to his office shortly after the paper throwing incident. She grins to herself as her senses tune into the sound of him tapping on his keyboard.

She walks across the living room and leans against the doorframe, watching her husband. His eyes dash across the screen, barely keeping up with the rapid fire of his fingers. She's always loved to watch him work, after all the years he's watched her, turn about is fair play.

She pictures their future, hopefully not too far off. She can see him in the wee hours of morning, a sleeping baby boy on his chest, and the vision makes her breath hitch in her throat. She walks over behind him, and wraps her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek before she rests her head on her arm.

"Hey," he smiles, removing one of his hands from the keyboard to wrap around the back of her head, and seeks out her lips. "All done?"

She nods against him. "Yeah. Finally." They both let out a chuckle. "So, what are Nikki and Rook up to?"

He saves his work and closes the lid to his lap top. "Oh, I'm not telling."

"What? Why?"

He swivels his chair around, and pulls her to him, one of her legs on either side of his thighs, pressing her into him. "Ruins the surprise."

Surprise. Ha! From the feel of him she knows _exactly_ what Nikki and Rook were up to. She grinds her lower half into his. "Oh, this is no surprise, Writer-boy."

He rolls his eyes, "Writer-_man_, Kate."

She grins seductively at him, and cocks her eyebrow. "Prove it."


	9. Inside Your Heaven

**Authors Note:** Again, my apologies for taking so long with this. I've been a busy girl the last few weeks. Ah, such is life.

Thank you to **alwayscastle2** for reading this through for me. Check out her new story _Ledge of Love_ it goes AU at Knockout, and as per usual, its amazing.

Reviews are love, leave some!

-Krystle

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"_When we touch,when we love_

_the stars line up_

_the wrong becomes undone_

_naturally, my soul surrenders_

_the sun and the moonlight_

_all my dreams are in your eyes__"_

* * *

Rick has been stuck in the office for the better part of the morning, he's had a stroke of inspiration for his latest _Heat_ novel. Kate walks into the office, and places a kiss on his head, letting him know that she's going out to lunch with Lanie, and will bring him back something to eat.

He pauses long enough to stand up and give her a proper goodbye kiss. "Are you going to tell her?"

Kate grins. "I thought you wanted to tell everyone together?"

"Do you really think Lanie will let us live it down if she wasn't one of the first to know?"

"Good point," she chuckles. "Yeah, I'll tell her. If you're sure."

"Honey, she's your best friend. This is the moment all best friends dream about," kissing her softly once more, he smiles. "Tell her."

Kate hurries out of the office and grabs her things before leaving the loft. She debates between driving and walking the six blocks to the Mexican restaurant she's meeting Lanie at. With one last look towards the underground parking structure, she decides that fresh air, or as fresh as it can get in this city, would be nice and starts walking up the crowded city sidewalk.

Walking up Crosby, she pulls out her phone and sends Lanie a text, telling her that she's about ten minutes away. The busy people of New York pass her by, all going about their daily lives. Its not an often enough occurrence that she gets to see her home through the eyes of a citizen instead of through the eyes of a cop. It's a refreshing change of pace for her. Something she's sure she's going to be doing a lot more of in the future.

Turning right on to Spring street, she can make out the form of her best friend standing in front of the Chipolte restaurant. Their usual lunch of Chinese didn't sound appealing to Kate, for reasons unknown to her friend.

Lanie is quick to wrap her in a hug which is returned just as quick. "Girl, you have been back home for almost three months, and we're _just_ getting around to our lunch date."

"Yeah," Kate says, smiling. "Sorry, it's been crazy. Getting back home, and settled in the loft, going back to work."

Lanie nods, "I hear that. The psycho's of this city aren't resting thats for sure."

The two walk into the crowded restaurant and continue their small talk about work. Lanie fills Kate in on what she missed while she was away on her honeymoon. Thankfully, much to Kate's appreciation, Lanie leaves out the explicit details of her and Espo's newly reaffirmed love life. She doesn't want to think about her best friend and 'brother' between the sheets.

After they've received their food, they find a table off in the corner by the window. Kate's not usually one for people watching, but as a woman walks by, clearly pregnant and holding on to the arm of the man next to her, she can't help but smile. She wants to be that girl.

"Kate!" Lanie's voice breaks through the thoughts that were running through her head, and she snaps her attention back to her friend. "Where did you go just now?"

"Sorry, Lanie," Kate says, taking a bite out of her burrito bowl. "I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Well, you can always talk to me," Lanie says. "I mean, I'm not married, but I have been known to give you some pretty damn good advice."

Kate laughs. "Yes, you have."

"So, what's bugging you, honey?"

Kate takes a deep breath, and holds her hands out for Lanie's for support. She glances down at her lap to calm her breathing, when she looks back up, she's got tears in her eyes. Before Lanie can even ask her what's wrong, she smiles at her friend.

"I'm pregnant."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Really?!"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Um, you're a doctor, Lanie, shouldn't you know the 'how'?"

"Girl, get up!" Lanie stands, pulling Kate up with her, hugging her once again. When they pull away from each other, they're both a sobbing mess. "How far?"

Kate smiles, "Nine weeks."

"And Castle?"

"Thrilled. He's already talking about fixing up one of the guest rooms into the nursery. I had to physically restrain him the day we got it confirmed from buying out all of FAO Schwartz and Babies 'R' Us."

"Between him and the guys, this kid is going to be spoiled rotten."

"Oh, I'm sure," Kate smiles, placing a hand on her flat stomach. "But, I can't bring myself to care. Oh!" Reaching down for her bag, she rummages through one of the compartments before producing a white envelope. "Here."

"What's this?" Lanie asks, taking the envelope. Kate gestures for her to open it, and she does. She pulls out an ultrasound photo, and the back of the picture reads 'Baby Castle's first picture. To: Aunt Lanie'. "Girl, you're gonna make me cry again."

"Well, Castle and I would be honored if you would be our children's Aunt - and Godmother."

"And that's gonna do it, Kate!" Lanie smiles a watery smile. "Of course I will."

**CB**

Kate walks into the loft an hour later, a take out bag in her hand. Dropping her keys in the bowl by the door, she toes off her shoes, and drapes her coat across the back of the chair. The loft is unusually quiet for this time of day. Alexis is back at Columbia, Martha is at the studio, but Rick usually has music on when he's home alone, just for background noise. Looking into the office, his chair is empty.

Changing her route, she heads for their bedroom, stopping in the doorway. Sprawled out on the bed, hugging her pillow close, his nose buried in the fabric of the pillowcase, is her husband. She puts the bag of food on the dresser and walks around to her side of the bed, watching him for a moment longer before she carefully lays down beside him. She gently maneuvers her pillow from his grasp and replaces it with herself. She rests her head softly on his right arm, and wraps his left around her waist; cuddling deeper into his body.

Her right arm wraps around his back, as she tangles her leg between his. She leans into him further, and kisses his neck softly. She feels him take a deep breath, and his arms tighten around her; he's aware of her presence now. Her hand rubs up and down his back, sneaking its way underneath his t-shirt, the warm skin of his back welcoming.

His breathing changes, and she grins. "Hey sleepy head."

"Hey," he whispers, kissing the top of her head, before he tilts her chin up to capture her lips with his. "How was lunch?"

"Good," she answers, kissing him once more. "Lanie's thrilled."

"I had no doubt," he smiles, bringing his left hand down between their bodies to raise her shirt and rest on her abdomen. "This baby is going to be so loved by everyone."

She nods. "It's crazy."

"What is?"

"How much I love this baby already. The moment we found out, I knew I could never feel this type of love for anyone again. When we heard the heartbeat last week - I knew that I would do anything for him."

"Him?"

"Mothers intuition?"

Rick kisses her again. "As long as this baby is healthy, I don't care what it is."

"Me either," she smiles. "But I've always dreamed of a little boy who's just like you."


End file.
